


Child of The Wolf

by ewmyname



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Child of Blackwall/Josephine, Child of Solas/Lavellan, F/M, Fluff, Future Generation, Hurt/Comfort, More characters to come, Multi, Reunion, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 08:52:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4660338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ewmyname/pseuds/ewmyname
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ariari Lavellan had been usurped from her cushy position as first to her mother Inquisitor Keeper Nishra Lavellan and taken back to Skyhold when her father returns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Child

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a whole lot of chapters added at once because I am on a roll with this story.

Ariari was not an obedient child. 

Especially now, when she refused to budge from her comfy position in clan Lavellan as first to her mother, the Keeper. A turbulent child of 12, she rarely listened to anyone other than her mother, Nishra Lavellan, Inquisitor and Keeper of clan Lavellan. And now, her mother was deserting that position and handing it over, dragging her daughter along with her.

Nishra was not old, she was shy of 37. She had been young when she had joined the Inquisition, and had been young still when she left the walls of Skyhold. Ariari had been told the stories by her mother; she knew them word for word. Her mother still kept in touch with the Inquisition and gave her opinion on matters through letters, and sometimes she’d disappear for a few weeks to visit Skyhold on very important functions. But now, Nishra had claimed Ariari was old enough for them to move on and they were heading to live in Skyhold.

Ariari did not want to go with her mother. She wanted to stay, and continue her magic training despite how many times her mother pleaded that she would still teach her. Ariari felt they were abandoning the clan, along with the truths of her mother’s barren face compared to the other mothers. Nishra always avoided the question, averting her lilac eyes from her daughters’ grey-blue ones. She promised to tell Ariari when she chose her vallaslin, if she wanted it that was. If. No other child in the clan had been given that choice, but Nishra refused to force her daughter into having the vallaslin. 

Now it was moving day. Nishra fussed with Ariari’s cloak some more, before finally becoming satisfied and stepping away. She smiled down at her daughter, for now just shorter than her. Ariari frowned, her forehead creasing in anger. She gripped tightly on the black coat, pulling the hood up onto her head. 

“Ariari-” Ignoring her mothers’ words, Ariari climbed up onto the stallion waiting next to her. Pouting and folding her arms, she made her temper tantrum known. Ariari Lavellan did not like change. The only reason she wasn’t screaming was because she knew that this move was important to her mother. Her mother was urgently needed at Skyhold and it was not something that could be solved in days.

Ariari heard her mother sigh, and then climb up onto the stallion behind her. Ariari didn’t have her mother’s gift with horses, nor had she started learning yet. Nishra bid a few goodbyes and last directions of getting their last belongings to Skyhold, before they charged off.

 

The trip was long and cold, and the two Lavellan’s made almost frequent pit stops. Sometimes, when Nishra thought Ariari wasn’t looking, she’d sigh and look weary and scared. Ariari wondered why this was. She liked Skyhold didn’t she? Ariari hated seeing her mother like that. 

Ariari had always been fiercely protective of her mother, especially since she never married. So Ariari took on the role of being the protector of the family. So one could forgive her for feeling any hatred at anything that was causing her only parent pain. 

Soon they arrived at Skyhold, and it looked just like how Nishra had described it in her stories. Tall and intimidating, Ariari felt confined all of a sudden. She liked the freedom of being Dalish; she didn’t want to be stuck in one place. But her mother had become accustomed to it, after her stay here and the destruction of Haven. 

As they entered Skyhold, fanfare sounded through the empty entryway. Coming out into a garden, three human adults stood in front of the entrance. Ariari felt the horse stop and heard her mother slip off the horse. She ran and enveloped a short dark haired woman in a hug, whom awkwardly returned it but was smiling nevertheless. 

Ariari narrowed her eyes. Whether her mother trusted and or liked these humans didn’t matter, they were shems as far as she was concerned. Keeping herself ridged, she got down from the horse and made her way over to her mother. She grabbed her own coat and tugged on it, frowning. Nishra turned and smiled down at her, before bringing her further forwards.

“Cassandra, this is my daughter. Ariari.” Cassandra, the short haired woman, looked down at Ariari. Ariari felt instantly smaller, and scared. The other woman seemed older and more prestigious than her mother and even seemed to hold the air to attention around her. Ariari felt intimidated but also a sense of admiration she had never felt for a human. Cassandra raised a brow, before giving a tight lipped smile.

“Your daughter. She is twelve?” Ariari looked up at her mother, who seemed to pale a little at the question. She nodded meekly in response, seemingly unsettled. Ariari became upset, angry that this woman made her mother sad.

She turned back to the woman and stubbornly stuck her chin in the air, huffing. Cassandra’s brow furrowed at her, an amused glint in her eye.

“She has her father’s temper from what I am observing.”

“Yes, a trait I sometimes wish she hadn’t inherited.” Nishra let out a weary sigh, and Ariari became more suspicious. This woman had known her father. Ariari didn’t know her father! That was not fair. 

And then her mother collapsed. 

Ariari yelled, catching her mother in a speed that no one expected. Her mother was light in her arms, far too light to be normal. She shook her, terrified at the reason why her mother fainted. 

“Mother!” For a moment she swore the whole world came crashing down on her in fear. The humans surrounded her quickly, prying her off her mother and mumbling something about taking her to her quarters. Ariari sobbed, reaching out for her mother as she got further away and a woman with dark skin led her off.

 

“Must be the stress... He is here... Her father... Abandoned... Can’t believe him... Has she... No...” Mumbles of words flittered out the door as Ariari hovered near it. Her mother was fine, just tired and worn out. The healer had said that all she needed was sleep, and she should be up and ready. Ariari did not feel safe here though. People kept talking about him. Her father this, her father that. He was the cause of her mother fainting! Father or not, she would not go near this man if it caused her mother this much pain.

Ariari grumbled, and jerked around when the door opened. She did not turn to face Cassandra or the nice woman who led her away earlier named Josephine, but instead the man that had been with them. He was definitely older than some of them, and from her mother’s tales he was Commander Cullen. She always talked about his silly fur piece on her coat. Ariari scrunched her face up, daring the commander to speak. He coughed, before speaking up.

“Your mother will be fine. For now, let’s let her sleep. If you want, I can take you to where dinner is served.” Ariari almost protested, before her stomach grumbled and gave away her intentions of being stubborn. Cullen chuckled lightly, before holding out his hand. Ariari made a face.

“I’m not a child.” Cullen raised an eyebrow at her, before shrugging and dropping his hand. He turned away from her and began leaving, gesturing for her to follow. He held his hands behind his back, keeping a strong pace. Very much like the ex-templar her mother talked about.

“Mother talked about you.” Ariari was straightforward, a trait that sometimes got her in trouble. But she saw no use dodging the question and gave her opinion as it was. Cullen stumbled for a moment, coughing before nodding.

“I’m sure she told you plenty about this establishment.” Ariari watched him a little from the back, analysing him as she did. Her mother wasn’t here to tell her off for being judgmental; she could do what she liked. He walked too upright, held himself up too high, kept too rigid. She wasn’t going to throw a fireball at his back. Yet.

“Why do you act like I’m going to hurt you?” Again, with her blunt attitude. This time, Cullen stopped and turned around to face her. He stared down at her, with wide eyes. There   
was a pause, before he finally answered.

“I don’t believe you will. I don’t know how to behave around...you.”

“You mean Nishra Lavellan, Inquisitor Lavellan’s child.” He paused again, before nodding and continuing on. They left the grand hall and the entire castle, and Ariari became confused. She narrowed her eyes, was he going to kill her?

“Where are we going?”

“The tavern. The Inquisitor’s old friends wanted a more intimate dinner, so they set it up here. Not in the grand hall like Josephine wanted.” That made little sense to Ariari; she was not her mother so why not just cancel the whole thing? 

“My mother’s asleep though. I don’t think they want to see me.” Cullen chuckled again in response, irritatingly like to Ariari. 

“They want to meet you, most certainly. That is why they didn’t cancel.” Cullen opened the door to the tavern, and Ariari was instantly swamped in noise and people. She covered her nose instantly, offended by the vile smell of alcohol that came from the room. She kept closer to Cullen then, feeling more uncomfortable around these humans than disgusted. They were too noisy, and when humans got drunk the elves were always the people to take the brunt of their drunken anger. 

Eventually Ariari and her companion reached a table, where a large group of people sat together. They were drinking and laughing. But all noise stopped as Ariari and Cullen reached the table, and Ariari swore she could hear the sounds of her people praying to Mythal.

“Young isn’t she?” A man with a greying beard asked, wide eyed and slack jawed at her. Ariari almost compared him to a scarecrow, because his padding made him look like he was stuffed with hay. Ariari had seen those sometimes when the clan ventured past human farms. She always wanted one. 

“Of course Blackwall, she’s the same age as how long Nishra has been gone for.” Cullen placed a hand firmly on her shoulder, and steered her to a spot between a tall woman and a moustached man. She sat down, unsure how to act. The woman next to her was imposing, even more so than Cassandra. Horns sat on her head, and she looked at Ariari over her nose. Ariari in a moment of defiance-And something her mother would’ve yelled at her for-stuck out her tongue at the other woman. The woman gasped, putting a hand over her largely apparent breasts.

“My! She looks like her mother, and she is as unpleasant as her.” Ariari almost jumped out of her seat, ready to sock the woman in her face before two hands firmly planted themselves on her shoulders. They held her down, and she heard a rumble of laughter behind her.

“Vivienne, dear, could you not insult the girl’s mother to her face? Nishra is a perfectly pleasant person; you two just do not have the same views is all.” Vivienne scoffed, and Ariari leaned her head back to see who was speaking. The moustached man smiled down at her, and Ariari felt... Comfortable, in his presence. 

“Hello there. You are...?” Ariari shifted around and out of his hands, before taking a moment to assess the man. He seemed nice enough. He talked strangely, but he didn’t seem like he was going to eat Ariari up.

“Ariari.” She eased up a little, and he beamed down at her.

“Marvellous, I am Dorian of House Pavus. You have your fathers eyes, child.” 

“Everyone keeps mentioning my father. I can’t say anything back.” Dorian nodded, and turned back to the table.

“We all knew your father, Ariari. He used to be one of us. Before he left that is.” 

“Left? He abandoned Nishra!” Cullen loudly protested, and Ariari finally took notice that he’d taken a seat.

“Cullen, the Inquisitor is a grown woman, a mother now. I am sure she can handle one elvhen man.” 

Ariari huffed; she didn’t know her father and everyone else did! Cullen grumbled and turned himself away from the conversation. Ariari turned back to Dorian, and poked him sharply in the arm. He turned to her, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Is my father here? Shems said he’s why my mother fainted.” Dorian opened his mouth to speak, before he was interrupted.

“You can bet he is, Furrows. Just waltzed right on in, and demanded to see her.” Ariari turned to the speaker, and found a dwarf. Well, at least he’s not a shem. He laughed a bit, slapping the table to make an emphasis on what he said.

“What? Why does he want to see my mother? He left her she said.” Ariari grew angrier with each word. Her father came here and demanded to see her mother, after 12 years. 12 name days had been and gone and now he appears? 

“We don’t know. But he wants to see her. Badly. Mentioned something about a very grave danger.” The dwarf shook his head, grinning. “I could have told a better story.” 

Ariari felt a chill send itself down her spine, and she abruptly pushed away from her chair. She needed to go to her mother.

“I need to go.” She spat out her words and turned on her tail, bolting out of the tavern. Thoughts of food left her mind, as she got the overwhelming feeling to protect her mother. She ran as quickly as she could, and by the time she reached the doorway, she was panting and out of breath.

There in the room sat her mother, sobbing and her head in her hands. A man stood next to her, a bald head and his eyes narrowed in anger. He stopped his tirade of words, when he spied Ariari standing in the doorway.

And blue-grey eyes met blue-grey.


	2. The Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nishra stretched out her hand, and it began glowing brightly. Her eyebrows rose in confusion, before scrunching in concentration. And then, a small rift burst into the air, shimmering and glowing in the dark light. Tentatively a wraith popped out of the rift, and before it had the chance to attack the trio, Solas fully turned Ariari around. He held out her right hand, and began walking them both towards the wraith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story makes references to What a Man, a drabble I wrote. Not necessary to read it, but you know it's there.

They stood there for some time. Ariari was frozen, her stomach rolling uncomfortably. She gripped tightly onto the clothes she wore, her heart pounding in her chest and her throat tightening. She knew those eyes; they were her own in his head. They both neither spoke nor moved, until Nishra broke the silence.

“Ariari, darling, come to me urgently.” Never taking her eyes off the strange man, Ariari moved to her mothers’ side as quickly and stably as she could. 

“Ariari. What a beautiful name you’ve given her.” His voice was smooth, pleasant. He looked at Ariari with tenderness, and it made Ariari feel wrong. This was her father right? So why did she feel no love? Only fear? 

“Yes, it is a beautiful name. Because I chose it, Solas.” Her father had a name. Now he was a real thing, a real person. She could see some reason for why her mother had liked him so much, but she could not see beyond his looks.

Ariari gripped her mothers’ arm as Solas beckoned to her with one finger like she was a mabari. 

“Come here child; let me have a look at you.” Ariari looked at her mother for permission, before receiving a begrudging nod of the head. Tentatively she went over to her father, conscious of her appearance more than ever. 

Solas gripped her chin, tilting her head in different ways as he analysed her face. She felt like a specimen under the fire light, and it made her uncomfortable and scared. She tightened her jaw, and narrowed her eyes and watched him sigh lightly.

“You must be very confused. I am your father, Ariari.” He stated it matter-of-factly, like Ariari hadn’t just looked into the same eyes as her own. She grunted, before responding.

“I know who you are. Why was my mother crying? Did you hurt her?” He stopped and analysed her face, like Ariari did to others. And she did not like being on the receiving end of it.

“I did hurt her, yes. But it was the truth, Ariari. She needed to know, as do you.” Ariari heard her mother get up behind her, and come over and pull Ariari away from her father. 

Nishra breathed deeply, staring up at the man that was a good deal taller than her. 

“Solas, this is neither the time nor the place. My daughter-”

“Our daughter.” Solas interrupted her, holding up a finger in silent reminder. 

“My daughter. I raised her Solas; you were not here to raise her.”

“I would have done so, if I had known of her existence.” Ariari felt the growl reverberate through her mothers’ chest before she heard it, and felt the hands on her grow tight.

“And how was I supposed to tell you?! You disappeared off the face of Thedas! I’m sorry, should I have sent you a letter when our daughter was born in the woods of the Hinterlands?! Should I have called you when I cried out your name while I pushed my child into life?! Oh do forgive me for not contacting you Solas! It is my entire fault!” Ariari had never heard her mother so angry. Nishra had never gotten so mad at her ever, and to hear her so angry at this man made Ariari’s heart hurt. She had heard the story of her birth, but this was the first time she had ever heard it spoken with malice, not love and kindness.  
Solas slumped slightly in his posture, before nodding.

“You are right, that is my burden to bear. But, please, vhenan-” Heart? That meant heart? Why was he calling her mother that?

“Don’t you dare call me that.” Nishra spat, enraged. 

“Inquisitor, please, let me get to know my child. I may not have bought her up, but I sired her did I not? Please?” Ariari expected to hear her mother protest, but she said the opposite.

“Fine, but get out of my face, I need time alone from you.”

Solas nodded, seemingly finished with his business but left time to flash a smile at Ariari before he left, softly closing the door behind him. As soon as he left, Nishra slumped in on herself and abandoned Ariari’s side. Ariari watched her walk away and over to a glass bottle filled with wine and pour some into a goblet. Her mother laughed weakly, and she covered her eyes as she grimaced.

“I should have expected this, shouldn’t I have child? Oh my dear, he wants to take you away. Some fable about you, some drivel. I can’t believe I swallowed his words, his honey words. And now he wants to get to know you,” She laughed bitterly, gulping her wine down. “Why now of all times? You are twelve years old, not a teenager yet. And he wants to rip you out of my grip.”

Ariari hurt seeing her mother like this, and she went over to her, not before catching her appearance in a mirror. She gulped, finally seeing her fathers’ genetics in her loud and clear. He sat in her strong nose that barely differentiated from her forehead, for her smaller eyes and their colour. Her mother and father both sat in her mouths shape, and her mother had complete dominion over her jaw shape. Though she was rounder and less sharp. She ran her hand lightly through the unshaved portion of her hair, before continuing to her mother. She wrapped her arms around her waist, and leaned her head on her back.

“I’m not going to leave you mother. I won’t.” Ariari hoped to Mythal that would stay true.

 

The next day, Ariari found herself on the steps of the grand hall while her mother busied herself with reports and problems that were now easier to fix since she was here. Ariari played with a fabric Fen’harel she kept to ward off demons, and didn’t hear the other approach. 

“Fen’harel?” The smooth voice made her almost jump out of her skin, and she hastily looked up to see her father. She shrugged, before turning back to the plush. She didn’t remember inviting him down, but Solas sat next to her nevertheless. 

“You’re not a talker. That’s very unlike your mother. She loved talking and asking questions.”Ariari turned to face him, frowning deeply.

“Don’t talk of my mother so fondly.” She snapped, before turning back to her Fen’harel. Solas chuckled next to her, obviously pleased.

“You are quite straightforward though. I noticed that last night. I was like that when I was younger.” 

“I’m not you though. I am Ariari Lavellan, first to the Lavellan clan and the Inquisitors daughter.” She grumbled, displeased by his comparison. She heard Solas shift, and when she turned to see him, he was right in her face. He studied her again, pursing her lips.

“You have come into your magic yes?”

“Yes.”

“How long ago?”

“2 years.” Ariari didn’t like being asked this question. She liked being fabled that she was a mage born with magic already, not that she was late to come into it.

“That is not too long ago. Does your mother teach you, as your keeper?” Solas leaned away from Ariari, rubbing his chin in thought. Ariari crinkled her nose, sitting up rigidly straight. She tried tirelessly to get across her displeasure at his visit.

“Yes. I was her first. What were you trying to tell me last night?” She wasn’t attempting to change the topic, she was genuinely interested.

“Ah that should be more so shown than told, da’len.” Ariari was taken aback at that time. Nishra had never mentioned her father could speak elvhen, and she always assumed he couldn’t as a flat-ear.

“You know elvhen?” 

“Yes, child. I do. I am not unwise to the old ways.” That Ariari knew. She huffed a little, and shuffled in her seat, finding it hard to form her words for once. 

“Can you... teach me? Mother doesn’t know much of it.” This time Solas was genuinely amazed, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Ariari shifted uncomfortably under his shocked stare. She didn’t normally ask for help but she wanted to learn ancient Elvhen. She wanted to claim more of her home.

“Of course, da’len. I would be honoured to.” 

 

Nishra spent little time with her daughter in the coming weeks. Though she knew Ariari was trying to keep her meetings with Solas secret, she was not the most subtle or the best liar. Nishra knew she was neglecting her child, but she couldn’t tear herself away from people needing her help. 

At the moment she was standing around the war table by herself, best trying to figure out a way to effectively save some abandoned troops in the Frostbacks. She didn’t hear the door open or another come in, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jerking in surprise, she twisted away from the hand and looked up at the owner.

Solas stood there, gazing down at her. She felt naked in front of him, as she had twelve years earlier. But this time the feeling was not wanted or liked, it was unwelcome and despised. She furrowed her brow, and turned away from Solas, back to the war table.

“You look like our daughter when you do that.” He idly remarked, and she knew exactly what he meant. The furrow between her brows. Her daughter had inherited that trait. 

“When I what, Solas?” She spat his name, like it was poison in her mouth. And it felt like it was. Solas may be the father of her child, and she may be allowing him to associate with her, but that didn’t mean she had to like him. He heaved a sigh, and put a hand on her shoulder. Nishra knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to get her to look at him. And she stubbornly refused.

“Lethallan, please. We need to talk. You cannot hang onto these feelings, they will eat you up.” Nishra promptly snorted, scoffing at Solas’s remark.

“I can hold onto these for as long as I like, Solas. They are my feelings to hold.”  
Obviously seeing no change in her feelings at the moment, Nishra heard Solas move away and to the other side of the war table. 

“How did you know you were with child?” A change of topic, one Nishra couldn’t stand to talk to him about. One of the many topics of late.  
But she answered nevertheless.

“After you left. It was after our...Night at the lake.” She hesitated, that night only bringing painful memories to her. 

“And she was born in the Hinterlands?”

“Yes. On a mission. I insisted on continuing my duties, and I went into labour. I almost gave Cassandra a heart attack.” She laughed for a moment, before stopping with an awkward cough. 

Cassandra had shoved her way through and insisted on being the midwife, while Dorian used magical barriers around her to keep the pain low. Ironbull had protected the three of them, watching out for any lingering enemies. Human or otherwise. It was not the most glamorous moment of her life, with her legs splayed for all of Thedas to see. But it had bought about the most beautiful daughter she could ever have. For a while Nishra had been angry, angry at the details of Solas in her, but she saw a lot of herself too, and that made it better.

“You put yourself and the child in harm’s way? Were you ill?” Nishra had heard that tone plenty of times. A judging tone, one of indignation, and she sighed.

“Who else was supposed to clear up the last rifts? Get rid of the final red templar’s and Venatori? I did not want my child growing up in a world where I left things half done.” A moment of silence fell between them, before Solas spoke again.

“You have changed considerably, Nishra. You are far different from the naive young woman I met.” Nishra looked up now, raising an eyebrow and staring at him. Lilac eyes met blue-grey ones, and held them tightly.

“I am now 37 years old Solas, I don’t have room to be a soft hearted flower girl anymore. That Nishra left when she became a mother.” 

“I meant it in a good way. You are mature, and you have bought up a wonderful daughter. I am pleased to get to know her. And you, all over again.” Nishra sighed, and rubbed her face, taking a moment to answer him.

“Solas, I want to make one thing clear. I am never getting with you ever again, I have moved on. Ariari and the safety of Thedas is my priority now. You are not.” He held his hands up in mock surrender, before nodding.

“I understand, but Nishra. We really need to talk about Ariari. There is a pressing issue.”

 

Solas had escaped from Ariari’s relentless questioning long ago, and she was now preoccupying herself with exploring Skyhold. She found herself in the gardens not too long into her exploration, and made her way to the gondola. Looking around, she observed the climbing ivy and the plants that her mother had planted 12 years prior. 

She gazed up at the roof of the gondola, swaying idly to hidden music. As she slowed her swaying, Ariari realised the music was not so hidden. Following the sound, she came to a room not too far from the garden.

Tentatively she opened the door, peeking inside. A young boy, about her age was in the room, playing the violin. His bronzed fingers delicately held the violin, as he swayed along with the sound. Ariari found herself captivated by it, and stood there listening. 

After a while he stopped, giving a frustrated sigh. Ariari cocked her head to the side, continuing to peek. He ran a hand through his curly short black hair, turning to a sheet of music. He had a strong nose, and a soft face shape with some rather thick eyebrows. Ariari felt drawn to him almost instantly. 

It did not take him long to turn around to where Ariari stood, and promptly drop all his paper on the floor in fright. Ariari scrambled to help him, dashing over to the papers to pick them up. In what could only be described as cliché, Ariari’s fingers brushed over the boys and she jerked backwards. Due to her sudden move backwards, she fell flat onto her back. 

“Are you alright?” The boy hovered over her, with grey eyes boring down on her. Ariari felt her face flush, and she scrambled up quickly to make a hasty exit. But alas, her exit was stalled when she crashed into the stomach of an adult. Looking up, Ariari came face to face with Blackwall, the robust man who had been at the dinner the previous night.

“Ah hello there! I see you’ve met my son.” He smiled down at her, and patted her shoulder before pushing past to the boy. Not continuing her escape, Ariari stared at them both in curiosity.

“This is Charles, my son with Lady Montilyet. He is your age.” Noticing neither had said a word in greeting, Blackwall introduced the elf female to his son. “And Charles, this is the Inquisitor’s daughter. Ariari Lavellan.” 

At that moment, Charles instantly jerked upright and bowed quickly. Ariari stared in confusion, not used to humans bowing to her. Ariari opened her mouth to reply, before an elvhen whirlwind arrived at the doorway. Her mother was here.

“Blackwall have you see- Ariari! There you are!” Nishra grabbed Ariari’s hand and pulled her away, leaving her to fading images of the boy with the violin. 

Ariari didn’t struggle as she was lead away, whatever it was must be extremely important. But Ariari did notice her mother walking differently to before. She had her head held high, and her steps were wide and stubborn. Ariari scrambled to keep up, whining a little bit in frustration, effectively causing her mother to slow just a little.

“Mother!” Ariari cried, her smaller legs struggling. 

Nishra came to an almost sudden halt, and Ariari hoped it was because she was letting her catch up, before seeing who was in front of them. Solas stood there, adjusting his sleeves and the strap attaching his staff to his back. Nishra let go of Ariari and grabbed her staff from a servant that run up hastily, and Ariari noticed she was in her full armour. 

Ariari had never seen her mother in her mage get up, and this came as a shock to her. She watched with wide eyes, before her mother grabbed her forearm and yanked her forwards. Nishra seemed to be in a hurry as she haphazardly fastened Ariari’s cloak around her, and gave her the little book of spells they always kept.

“Inquisitor? Where are you going?” All three turned to the Commander’s voice as he came over to the trio, curiosity evident on his face. 

“Cullen, this is not the time. I have urgent business to-”

“With him?” Cullen almost snarled the word, and Ariari scrunched her face in confusion. 

“Yes, Cullen. You are not my mother, let me make my decisions. I will be back by nightfall.” She’d never heard her mother speak so bitterly to Cullen, especially because she knew her mother cared deeply for him. Ariari had even read a few of their letters to each other, on accident the personal ones. Nishra confided everything in him, and expressed great feelings for him. And he the same. So, Ariari deducted he has a reason to be worried. And Ariari didn’t want a rift forming between these two, so she reached out and tugged on his coat, staring up at him.

“I’ll make sure mother won’t run away.”

“Ariari!” Nishra yelped, quickly collecting her as her face turned a dark pink. Cullen chuckled good naturedly, before turning away from them and disappearing. Nishra hurried both Ariari and Solas away, obviously frantic to get down to what they were going to be doing.

 

Ariari felt the tension in the air while she walked behind the two adults. They didn’t speak to each other, and her mother kept her distance. The walk was tense, and her father’s attempts at conversation failed spectacularly. 

The tension was uncomfortable for Ariari, and she almost wanted to yell or cry. And she felt an overwhelming desire to get her parents to get along with each other.

Before Ariari could enact this plan, the trio came to a lake far from Skyhold. Ariari knew the lake. She and her mother had ventured past this lake many days ago when they were coming to Skyhold. Ariari had taken a drink from it while her mother had gone through letters and their map. 

Nishra was now pacing around it, and Solas had his hands clasped together, before gesturing for Ariari to come close. She tentatively steps closer to him, and he takes her hands in his own. He bought her over to the lake, and then looked behind Ariari to her mother. Nishra moved over to them both, raising an eyebrow at the man.

“Inquisitor, could you open a small rift? One to let in just a wraith of course.” 

Ariari had no idea her mother possessed this ability, and neither did Nishra it seemed.

“I... I cannot. That is not possible, I close them not open them.”

“But you have. You opened the one at the Fallow Mire. And the one at Adamant. You can.”

“But those were already there Solas! I have never been able to bring one into thin air!” Ariari could see her mother becoming uncomfortable. Ariari knew well her mother didn’t like having the mark on her hand, and that it kept her up at night. 

“Trust me, lethallan. You can.” Ariari swore she heard her mother mutter something about the last time she trusted him, before turning away. Ariari craned her head to watch her mother. She had never seen her mother in action except for the few times she warned off humans that came a little too close to the clan.

Nishra stretched out her hand, and it began glowing brightly. Her eyebrows rose in confusion, before scrunching in concentration. And then, a small rift burst into the air, shimmering and glowing in the dark light. Tentatively a wraith popped out of the rift, and before it had the chance to attack the trio, Solas fully turned Ariari around. He held out her right hand, and began walking them both towards the wraith. The wraith turned to stare at Ariari and it didn’t move a bit, nor did it try to attack them. It swayed closer to her, and Ariari squirmed in fear, terrified she’ll be possessed. 

“Do not fear, da’len. I am here, we are in control.” Solas murmured into Ariari’s pointed ears, and she let out a quiet sob. The wraith came to a stop in front of her, glowing dully as it moved as if it was in a trance. Solas moved her hand left and right, up and down, in a circle, and the wraith willingly followed.

And as quickly as it happened, the wraith disappeared into the rift in a green shimmer. Ariari’s mother panted, closing the rift as soon as the wraith was completely gone. Her eyes shone brightly, hidden lightning behind them. Nishra stormed over as dark as the clouds beginning to gather in the sky, and she wrenched her daughter from Solas’s grip. Ariari was crushed to her mother’s side and she clung on for dear life. Solas stared for a moment in surprise, before calming and looking at them both with fondness. 

“What did you do?!” Nishra shouted at Solas, and Ariari felt the air charge with static. Her mother had always favoured her lightning, purple like her eyes. It was much like Ariari’s love for fire, hot and wild like her temper. Nishra was always a calm anger, much like how her power was described as cold fire. But now, she raged with electricity and fire burned in her eyes like it burned in Ariari’s soul. 

Ariari could not stop her mother. Could not stop her as she pulled away from her, and stormed over to her father. Could not stop as she screamed in his face, as he calmly tried to talk to her. Could not stop her as the static in the air grew and Nishra’s anger did too. Could not stop her as Nishra let a bolt down, effectively hitting Solas. Could not stop her as she shook the unconscious man’s body. Could not stop her as she turned away and stormed off, leaving her child alone in the woods, with an unconscious apostate elf. 

But Ariari could stop herself running away. She scrambled to her father, and picked him up, shaking him to get some sort of response. She noticed the singed nature of his clothing, and quickly tore it off. She ripped her cloak off her shoulders and plunged it into the lake before placing it on his burnt back. She sobbed, for she was not good with healing spells. 

But as she lay there, holding the wet cloak to his back, she conjured her first barrier. She kept it up as she sobbed and cried for him to wake up, confused and terrified. She stayed while she kept her father from falling away, she stayed while her mother disappeared into the distance. While her mother went away from Skyhold. While her mother left her alone. While she drained her mana to keep up the barrier.

While she waited for her father to awake.


	3. The Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And I think you should go with him, da’len. He can protect you, and teach you to control yourself and your powers. I need to be here, and I cannot teach you. You need him, and he needs you.” 
> 
> Ariari jerked up her head, her eyes widening in shock. She shook her head vigorously. She was angry with her mother yes! But she didn’t want to go!
> 
> “No mother I can’t go! I promised I wouldn’t leave you!”

Ariari did not know how long she was there for. Skyhold sent no search party as the skies turned dark, and the woods began to come to life. Ariari clung to dear life the barrier covering her and her father, and to the staff she had pried from him. She watched as fennec foxes ran through the clearing to dip at the water, before noticing the two elves and turning away. Ariari was exhausted and cold. Her cloak was soaked and she had not worn her warmest clothing, and she needed fire. But her mana was dying by the second, and soon she’d no longer be able to hold up the barrier no less make a fire. And she had no potions with her to make it better. 

Ariari had checked her father, and he had none either. Not strange, as they hadn’t planned to be stranded in the middle of the woods. One unconscious, and the other freezing and lost and unsure how to get help. 

Ariari wished she’d never met her father in that moment. For his sake. For her sake. For her mother’s sake. None of them would be in this mess if Solas had never come looking for them. They would still be in Clan Lavellan and her mother would still be taking trips. 

And selfishly she wished her father had never left. She wished that he had stayed with her mother, and they bought up Ariari in the warm canopy of Skyhold or the warm aravels of Clan Lavellan. That Ariari had known both of her parents love. And that she was not so desperately torn between finding her mother and caring for her father. That they both sat here-No that all of them sat here and had picnics and lived their lives freely. 

She sniffled, on the verge of crying for the third time that night. She wanted her mother to come back. She didn’t know why she ran without her. But Ariari knew she needed to care for her father, and she could feel her energy draining as she dug into her mana reserves desperately. 

“Da...len.” Ariari jerked out of her mental stupor, and looked down to see her father awake. A sob choked in her throat, and she restrained herself from hugging him. He looked up wearily at her before smiling weakly. 

“You have...done well my child. You are...so beautiful, and I am...so...sorry I was not there. To, to raise you.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, and Ariari let out the sob in her throat. She knew he would not die, but still she was scared and exhausted. And cold.

“I need to move you...father.” The word slipped out, and it felt natural. Peaceful. Solas chuckled lightly, before he coughed. 

“Keep up...that barrier. And, lift me da’len. Bring me...to Skyhold. To the...healer.” Ariari nodded wearily, almost depleted of all her mana. She couldn’t keep it up much longer, but she would for her father.

Standing up, she began trying to lift her father onto her shoulders. He was heavy, and she was not very strong but she managed to lift him up eventually. He leaned heavily on her body, and his feet dragged due to her tiny nature. 

As she carried him, he directed her with a rasping voice. He murmured words of encouragement in her ear, and she kept him awake. The woods echoed with sounds of distant wolves, and animals skittered through far away bushes. Ariari kept her mind on the task at hand, and as it got darker she weakened the barrier a little to give herself some fire.

Using it as her light, she began seeing more fire in the distance. And voices. Saved, oh thank the creators she’s saved! 

“Well done, child, well done.” Solas rasped out, before slumping fully onto her shoulders. Ariari sagged slightly but held herself up, and screamed at the top of her lungs. The faces in the fire turned to her, and yells of happiness and gratefulness followed them. 

Soon she was accompanied by what appeared to be all of Skyhold. Commander Cullen reached her first, shocked to see the elf literally hang off her shoulders. He took him off of her, as she pointed out the burns and to get him to a healer. But she was not prepared for his question.

“Where is your mother?”

 

They reached Skyhold in the dead of the night, and Ariari was guided to her mother’s quarters. When she was left alone, she broke. Ariari stopped being brave and strong, and she climbed into the bed that she had shared with her mother the past view nights. Curled up against her side shivering, being warmed up by her mother’s warm hands. She gripped the silken sheets, smelling her mothers’ lavender scent. 

Cullen had demanded they search for Nishra, but had been persuaded to wait until it was light and more visible. Ariari felt a hole in her heart. What if she’d gone after her mother? Would they have returned to Skyhold minus one elf? Would her father have died out there? 

And when Ariari finally slept, she dreamed. 

Her mother stood before her, arms out. Her face was tight lipped. Her eyes bowed lower than usual and her face screamed remorse. Ariari almost ran to her arms, but stayed away out of fear it was a demon. She tried something new this time. She didn’t know if it would work in a dream, but she wanted it gone. Ariari held her hand out, and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, her mother had shifted into a demon’s form. It looked at her with glazed over eyes, and swayed slowly. 

“Go! Be gone!” The demon faded from her dream, and she was left staring at the back of her eyelids. 

Noises surrounded the room, and Ariari opened her eyes slowly. Her mothers’ advisors stood in the room, backs all to her.

“I cannot believe she left Ariari alone.” Commander Cullen. Oh why was it him? Ariari had tried to keep their relationship intact, but it hadn’t worked in her favour at all. 

“Cullen, she said she had a reason for it.” Josephine. The dark haired woman who’d led her away when her mother had fainted, and the mother of the boy she had met just the day before. Even before she heard Josephine’s words she knew her mother was back, she felt it in her bones. 

“What reason could you possibly have to leave a man half alive and your daughter alone in a forest?!”

“You are not the only one disappointed in her, but leave the judgement for later.” 

Ariari leaned her head back down, and fell asleep again to the Orlesian lilt of Leliana’s voice. 

 

She awoke again, much later. Late afternoon crept into the room, and Ariari spied Josephine over at her mother’s desk, working. Ariari sat up, confused and disorientated for a moment. The bed creaked as she did so, and Josephine looked up. Dark brown eyes met Ariari’s own, and sympathy overwhelmed them.

“My father?” It astounded Ariari when she asked for him first. But she needed to know, she needed to know that her father was fine and all her work was not for naught.

“He is fine, Ariari. You should go back to sleep. You destroyed a lot of your mana protecting him.”

“My...mother? What about her? Is she in trouble?” Josephine shook her head, before answering.

“No, she is not. Cullen is mad of course, but she is in no danger. She returned not long after you fell asleep, and she is now in the war room, presumably being interrogated by Cullen and Leliana.” 

Ariari wanted to get up and go to her mother, to also find out what had happened to her. But she couldn’t move for the life of her, and lay down to sleep once more.

 

The third time she awoke, it was night time. This time she saw her mothers’ face illuminated by the candle light as she held her head in her hands. A bandage adorned her cheek, and one wrapped around her right forearm and Ariari burned in anger. Anger at her mother for leaving, and anger at not having been able to protect her. 

Nishra looked up from her position, and stared Ariari in the eyes. She smiled wearily at her daughter, her face mirroring the weak expression her father had given her not all too long ago. Her mother moved away from the desk and came over to Ariari, cupping her cheek just like her father had. The bed sunk as her mother sat, and she sighed.

“You protected him. You used up all your mana and slept all day to regain it. Why Ariari?” Ariari felt like she was being accused, and she scrunched up her face.

“Because he’s my father, mother.” 

“Of course, darling. I know. I am so sorry I left, I had no idea what to do and I ran before I thought. I left you alone, and it was terrible of me for doing that. Will you forgive me?”  
In that moment Ariari didn’t want to, she wanted to hate her mother and continue on hating her. But she couldn’t bring herself to.

“Why did you...do it mother?” So she asked instead of answering.

“I didn’t mean to. I meant to scare him, to warn him off. I wanted to protect you my dear, and I lost control. I’ve been so, so angry at him for so long. And I no longer had control. Fire burned in me and I wanted him dead. He came back, telling me wanted to take you away and that he wanted to get to know you. And he never apologised. He never apologised for what he did twelve years ago and I just... I broke, I just fell apart. I’m so sorry you got caught in the crossfire.” Tears fell from her mothers’ eyes and Ariari swore it was the first time she saw her cry.

“And I think you should go with him, da’len. He can protect you, and teach you to control yourself and your powers. I need to be here, and I cannot teach you. You need him, and he needs you.” 

Ariari jerked up her head, her eyes widening in shock. She shook her head vigorously. She was angry with her mother yes! But she didn’t want to go!

“No mother I can’t go! I promised I wouldn’t leave you!”

Nishra laughed mirthfully, and put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. Ariari slumped under her mother’s touch, and she sobbed quietly.

“You have to da’len. Ar lath ma, emma lath. Mala suledin nadas.”

And Ariari knew this was final, it was not up for discussion. She was to leave with her father in a week, to give him time to recover, and then she would not see her mother for a very long time. For years possibly.

“Ar lath ma, mamae.” 

 

Ariari huddled around herself in the garden. She was to leave the next day with her father, and her chest hurt. She sniffled as she looked away from the dreamy garden, up to where the sky was beginning to darken. Ariari watched clouds flitter across the sky, until she heard someone join her.

She turned to her guest, coming face to face with Charles’s wide eyes. His mouth sat agape for a moment, before he chose to smoke.

“Hello.” His voice was clear, soft. On the cusp of puberty it held a wisp of his childhood pitch.

“H...hi.” Ariari breathed, entranced in his eyes. They were dark, and warm. She felt safe in them.

“My mother said you’re...leaving us soon.” Ah, so he came to talk to her about the one thing Ariari didn’t want to think about right now.

“Yes, I am...” Ariari hunched over a little, clasping her hands between her knees. She hung her head, and a moment passed before Charles spoke again.

“I um, I made something, for you. My um father helped. I thought it would bring you... Good luck.” 

Ariari turned back to him, and watched patiently. Charles shuffled around in his pockets, before procuring a small wooden pan flute. It was painted in gold and red colours, and Charles held it out to her. Ariari barely noticed the red covering his cheeks, and took hold of it like it was the most precious thing in the world. 

“There’s ah, a hole for you to string it around your neck.” Charles tapped where the hole was, and Ariari nodded. She had never received a gift from anyone but her mother, and now a human was giving her what he hoped was a good luck charm.

“...Thank you.” She whispered it, before clasping the pan flute to her chest gently. Ariari looked up at him, straight in the eyes.

“Ah y-you’re welcome!” Ariari took a moment before remembering a greeting she had seen passing Orlesian’s do, and leaned forwards to peck Charles’s cheek. Charles fire up in red, from his face to his ears and neck. The dark brown freckles on his cheeks became more obvious as he did, and Ariari laughed slightly. 

“Ariari!” In the distance her mother called, and Ariari quickly stood up. She began leaving the garden, before turning back to look at Charles once more.

“Thank you...Charles.” And with that, she ran off to find her mother.

 

The next day came far too quickly for Ariari, and she felt scared about leaving. Ariari had never traveled without her mother, and had also never traveled with her father. Solas fussed with her, bringing a newly made staff for her. She clenched her hand around the wooden staff, holding onto it so her legs would not give out. Sweat trickled slightly down her neck in fear, and Ariari felt her chest tighten. She was scared. Ariari Lavellan was scared. She grasped the pan flute around her neck, the only thing keeping her grounded at the moment. 

Ariari watched her parents talk civilly for the first time in a while, though she noticed her father more reserved than usual. She knew her mother was putting in an effort for her, and she couldn’t blame her father for being reserved. He had almost died. Ariari watched as her mother reached out to straighten a button in Solas’s coat, before freezing. Her eyes widened and she snapped back, face flushing. Ariari didn’t understand what this meant, but the air went cold around them both before her mother turned to Ariari.

“You be safe alright? Write me whenever you can, child. Ar lath ma, da’len.” Nishra bent down, and kissed her daughter on the forehead. Ariari would never wash that area again, so she could keep the tingly feeling of her mothers’ lips there.

“Ar lath ma, mamae. I’ll be safe.” Nishra smiled at her, before sighing slightly. She took a quick glance at Solas and then back at Ariari, before nodding.

“Dareth shiral, Solas and Ariari.” Solas nodded back to her, before taking Ariari’s hand in his own. Ariari twisted around in his grip to wave enthusiastically back at her mother.

“Dareth shiral mamae!” She called out, as she watched her mother and all of Skyhold fade away. 

She assumed it would not be long until she once again saw them all, but little did she know it would be years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evlen translations:  
> Ar lath ma, emma lath. Mala suledin nadas: I love you, my love. Now you must endure.  
> Ar lath ma, mamae.: I love you, mother.  
> Dareth shiral: Be safe.


	4. The Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They began to sway together, hands clasped and one of Ariari’s arms wrapped around his neck and one of his around her waist. They step clumsily along the dance floor, not the finesse Ariari had forced herself to practice this whole evening. But now she moved around like a child, laughing brightly. Charles watched her face light up in glee, and she watched him smile.
> 
> And then the entrance exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The change in use of Elvhen and Elven, depends on who is speaking. Such as when Nishra or Ariari speaks they use elvhen or when Charles speaks he uses elven.

An elvhen woman sat up in a tree, poised and ready to pounce. She shuffled slightly in her position, before hurtling through the air and promptly landing on an elvhen man below her. Knocking the wind out of the man below her, the woman let out a triumphant yell. 

“You are becoming too heavy for these games, da’len.” The man grumbled, and the woman got off him. She helped the much older man up, and laughed. Running a hand through her short wavy hair, she let out a loud sigh of relief.

“Come on papae, I had you that time!” The man grinned down at her, before ruffling her hair.

“Ariari, da’len. We need to be vigilant now. We are nearly there.” Ariari huffed in reply, before nudging her father away to turn to the lake she had been at six years prior. Bending down, she splashed water onto her before seeing her reflection.

She had changed dramatically in these few years. Her strong nose inherited from her father was more apparent now, and her jaw more pronounced. She’d grown out the shaved side of her hair and had haphazardly cut it short. It waved and twisted around her pointy ears, and she shook her face to rid of the rest of the water. 

“An hour or so right?” Ariari was now a young woman when properly examined. She had a cheeky smile constantly attached to her face, but she looked every seventeen name days that had passed. She was nearly eighteen, and they had found that as good a reason as any to return to Skyhold permanently. Ariari had sent letters to her mother, and the odd one to Charles but she had not been back in almost six long years. 

“Maybe less if you move now.” Solas was itching to get to Skyhold and Ariari had no idea why. She knew her father liked being alone and travelling, he had told her herself. So this sudden return to walls and confinement confounded Ariari. 

Ariari got up and grabbed her satchel and staff, trudging after her father. Solas was older now, but he still held the grace of a younger man and he didn’t look very old. Ariari hoped she’d inherit her fathers’ good genetics. 

 

It did not take them long to reach Skyhold, and when they did fanfare sounded as it had many years before. Ariari felt happier now to be back. She was excited to see her mother and Charles. Ariari fondly touched the pan flute still around her neck as she thought of him. It’d lasted all these years, though it was a bit worse for wear. 

While lost in thought, Ariari was tackled by a blur of elf. She laughed loudly as she gripped tightly onto the much smaller elf that had grasped her. Her mother looked up at her, grinning from pointed ear to pointed ear. 

“Emma vhenas!” She cried out as she spun her mother around. Nishra was smaller than Ariari now, and she was lighter than Ariari remembered. Nishra stepped away from her, and touched her face softly. 

“Aneth ara, my dear, dear child. I’m so happy to see you.” Nishra had smile lines forming on her face, and Ariari became confronted with her mother aging.  
“As am I mother. I’m back safely.” Nishra pulled away from her daughter, and quickly busied herself with Solas. Ariari rolled her eyes as her mother asked every question under the sun. She slipped away, and began to make her way to where she was told her new room was. 

Ariari felt the most at home than she had in the last few years, and she smiled. Taking her own time, she slipped into the garden, just where she remembered it to be. Ariari made her way over to the gondola, and promptly plunked her satchel and staff down on the ground. She breathed in the fresh air of the mountains, before her attention was drawn away by girlish giggles that grew closer. 

Hurriedly Ariari hid behind one of the pillars, before looking out to see who had entered her safe space. A young man stood in the centre of four or five girls, at least two attached to his side. She scrunched her forehead, staring at the man in the centre. She had never seen him when she was last here. Curly dark hair, warm brown eyes and bronze skin. He looked almost god like to Ariari, and she couldn’t blame the humans for clamouring around him. She almost wanted to herself.

Ariari inadvertently snorted to her thought, drawing the attention of the group. She slammed herself against the pillar wall as disgruntled noises followed the sound of heavy footsteps. 

“Hello? Is there a pervert here?” 

“No, shem, there is no ‘pervert’ here.” Ariari swore under her breath, her spitefulness getting the better of her. She berated herself, wishing she’d stayed quiet when her elvish slur was followed by gasps of indignation. A masculine grunt followed, and the sound of a sword being taken out of its sheath. 

“I say! My father is a Grey Warden and my mother a very important ambassador! You cannot speak like that!”  
Having had enough of the game, Ariari stepped from around the pillar with her hands up in mock surrender and a smirk on her face. She had to stop herself from sighing when seeing the man’s face almost pressed against her own, so instead she laughed. 

He had a hand on the sword on his hip, and squared his shoulders as she faced him. Broad shoulders and strong muscle, he stood quite a bit taller than her. Ariari was tall for an elf, but he was also tall for a human.

“You have caught me, brave knight.” The boy squinted at Ariari, and she cocked her head to the side. 

“So, you are an elf.” He breathed, eyes widening a little. One of the females on his arm yanked on his tunic, whining.

“Charles! Why are you still talking to this savage?” The girl whined, and Ariari’s face screwed up in anger. Ariari looked at the girl full on, so viciously her ruby red mouth puckered tight. 

“Charming company you keep, Charles.” She looked up, affirming the name to the face. Charles stumbled back slightly, going bright red from round ear to round ear. Ariari couldn’t contain herself, so she let out a tirade of bubbling giggles, leaving the other women confused.

“I-I didn’t recognise you!” Charles stammered out, hand putting the sword back in its sheath. 

“Neither did I, nevertheless you seemed ready to stab me.” Ariari eyed up the large sword, once again cocking her head to the side. Charles held his hands up in surrender, almost the same as Ariari had before. But not as mockingly as she did.

“I swear I wouldn’t have used it. It’s normally used just to scare people off. I had...no idea.” 

“Charlie! Who is she?!” Another woman grabbed his arm, and tugged tightly. “Come play with us!” 

“I apologise, I’m interrupting your company. We can talk later.” Ariari turned and grabbed her staff and satchel, picking them up. The women made another face, and she rolled her eyes in response. 

Ariari began walking away, and was almost out of the garden before Charles came running up behind her, to the sound of wounded cries. Ariari raised an eyebrow at him, as she ascended up the stairs to where her room is located. 

“Sorry about that, Ariari. They ah, are a bit tedious.” Charles rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking away from Ariari with a face still dusted in red. Ariari laughed light heartedly, and she nodded.

“Oh no, no. Don’t apologise for your company Charlie.” Charles groaned in response, hunching over slightly as they turned out of sight of the women. If they were still there and hadn’t sought another playmate.

“Please don’t call me that. I hate it.” 

“Oh? You didn’t look too displeased when the shem called you it.” Ariari brushed back some hair behind her ear, and watched quietly as Charles followed her hand. 

“She ah. She’s different from you.” Ariari would never admit that stung, hurt more than she’d like to say it did.

“Right.” She nodded, finally finding her room and shoving the key into the door knob. 

“Look ah, it was nice seeing you again. I guess we will be seeing each other at the dinner tonight?” Ariari laughed mirthfully, and Charles couldn’t help but admit she sounded exactly like her mother when she did that.

“Of course! It’s my own welcoming party. I look forward to seeing a dressed up Charles.” She flashed him a grin before sliding into her room and shutting the door behind herself.  
Ariari allowed herself to be human-Elvhen-in that moment. She sunk down and covered her fiery red face, and grinned like she’d just discovered the most delectable piece of fruit. Charles.

“Charles.” Oh how his name rolled off her tongue, and she sighed in bliss. He was gorgeous and intriguing and he seemed utterly bashful. She hugged herself, the silly smile on her face growing in glee. 

Her door was rapped on lightly, and Ariari quickly stood up to get down to business.

 

The day passed quickly as Ariari helped herself and her father settle into Skyhold. And soon her late afternoon was filled as Josephine and her mother dressed her up for her welcoming party. Despite her insistence and her mothers’ as well, Josephine refused to do anything but a grand party. 

Ariari now stood at the entrance way for the ball, with her mother at her left and her father on the right. It was her fathers’ welcome back in a way, but he insisted on it being the night to focus on Ariari. Ariari watched her mother fuss with her own dress still, and she reached out to place a hand on her arm.

“Mother, you look fine. Don’t worry.” Nishra smiled up at her, and then she took the lead. Ariari watched with wide eyes and her mother and father linked arms, but she smiled happily nevertheless. She didn’t mind if her parents never got back together, but she was glad they seemed to be getting along now.

Soon after they left, Ariari made her own private entrance. If she was with anyone they would have been at her side, but she was not so she entered alone. The room went quiet, and Ariari felt cold as she bowed to the masses. 

Charles watched from a distance, stopping halfway while he was eating to gape. She looked beautiful. Her short hair couldn’t be done much with, but her fringe had been plaited and firmly pinned to the back of her head and was adorned with jewellery.  
Maker, her mother-And his own too-couldn’t have had a word on that dress. Her small breasts swelled at the tight bodice of black, but it was mostly covered by sheer gold material. Red adorned her bodice, and circled around in glittering circles on her black floor length skirt. Charles felt his breath hitch and he tightly grasped his goblet, still staring. She moved with poise and grace, gently and softly. 

She was nothing like her mother nor her father, in what he remembered of Solas. She carried fire on her shoulders and behind her eyes. A playful grin adorned her face as she took the seat a little further from him.

He knew his staring was becoming plainly obvious, but he couldn’t help it. Maker, he had thought he’d overcome this crush when she’d left and hadn’t returned. But now, the elven woman had waltzed right back into his life. She was almost a woman now, as he was just recently a man. And unlike a man, he craved her in the most innocent of ways possible. 

He wanted to just... Touch her at that moment. To feel her elfish skin under his calloused fingers, to stare into her big eyes. To gently run his thumb over her soft lips, and to give her a kiss so lightly she’d have sworn a fairy had flown past. 

Whispers flitted across the table, and he watched the Orlesian parents of the girls that had buried him earlier, lean towards each other and talk.

“I heard she’s dangerous. Demons follow her.”

“I heard she sets people of fire and laughs about it. Calls them shems!”

Charles found his eyes landing on the parents, and he glared deeply. They noticed him and looked away with shame in their eyes, before Charles felt a large hand on his shoulder and his fathers’ rich laugh.

“You’d do well boy not to antagonise the guests. Your mother took a long time to set this up for young Ariari.” Charles made a face, bringing his goblet up to his mouth.

“I get that dad. But they’re so... Awful. They make her out to be some sort of demon.” 

“Son, people are going to judge her till the day she dies and beyond. As they will with her parents. She’s born out of wedlock, she’s an elf and she’s Dalish. People will always hate, and quite fucking sadly there’s nothing to be damn well done about it.”

“But dad-”

“Charles, I care deeply for her and her mother, not too sure about the elf fellow but I care. And I wish I could change it, but unless you can perform blood magic and twist their minds to change, without leaving them dead or worse, they will not change.”

“Still? Even after the warden was a Dalish elf? They still won’t change?” 

“It’s built into their way of life. You’ve been to Val Royeaux. You seen the elves there? It’s ingrained into their society, systematic years of oppression they do not know any different, son. So please, for tonight be good.” 

Charles didn’t reply, disgruntled. He watched Ariari out the corner of his eye, as she laughed and innocently touched her mother on the shoulder, or her father on the forearm. Her eyes glittered and shined like diamonds, and he wanted to see himself reflected in them.  
But he knew she wasn’t ready, so for now he decided so let her be and stay friends.

 

Ariari was exhausted by the end of the evening. She’d been asked to dance with what felt like every eligible bachelor under the sun, some of them elvhen even. But flat-ears. Her mother had especially encouraged her to dance with them, and she did with a painted smile. When she had finished what she had assumed to be the last dance, a gloved hand was stuck out in front of her.

“I’m sorry, I’m all danced out for the night.”

“Damn shame that is then.” Recognising the voice, Ariari looked up with a wide smile. She had been hoping Charles would come over and ask her to dance all evening, but he’d never set foot away from the table, instead eying her up.

“I never thought you’d ask.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the dance floor she was just leaving.

“Did I leave the lady in waiting for me?” Charles chuckled softly, and Ariari noticed his laugh was rich and dark like his voice. 

“Maybe you did.”

They began to sway together, hands clasped and one of Ariari’s arms wrapped around his neck and one of his around her waist. They step clumsily along the dance floor, not the finesse Ariari had forced herself to practice this whole evening. But now she moved around like a child, laughing brightly. Charles watched her face light up in glee, and she watched him smile.

And then the entrance exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo Charles is so adorable.  
> Elvhen translation:  
> Emma vhenas!: I am home!  
> Aneth ara: My safe place.


End file.
